Picture Book Review - Where's Lenny? by Ken Wilson-Max

A little tip for all those folks who have emergent readers in your house -- don't box up the board books just yet. You may have felt like you could move on from these super-simple titles once your little one entered grade school, but the truth is that board books are perfect for kids just learning to read. The pictures are simple, giving lots of clues to support the interpretation of text. And the words tend to be manageable as well, with plenty of repetition and catchy phrases that inspire emergent readers. Plus your kids will be proud as punch to read some of their "baby" books on their own!

I was reminded of this as I sat down to blog about tonight's pick, Where's Lenny? by Ken Wilson-Max. Sprout wandered in, delaying his trip to the bath, and began immediately to puzzle through this cheery picture book. Though not a board book per se, the paper style and trim size definitely lend themselves to the youngest set. But Sprout was lured to it by the bright colors and that cover photo of Lenny, which made him want to read the book for himself. And really, who wouldn't want to read about this adorable chap?

Where's Lenny? features a game of hide-and-seek between the title character and his dad. The game takes the pair all over the house, encountering the dog, the goldfish and even Mummy. Lenny is clearly delighted to be leading his father on a wild goose chase, and the more Daddy guesses wrong, the more fun the sturdy toddler is having. At long last, Daddy and Mummy join forces and find their boy hiding under a blanket. And the escapade ends with a good bunch of cuddles, and some tickling for good measure. So fun!

Where's Lenny? is just one of several Lenny adventures by Wilson-Max. I love these titles because they include a multiracial family - it's always great to find books with parents of two different races, especially when the titles are as fun and upbeat as the Lenny books. Colorful and happy, these titles are a pure joy to read. Once you've read one, you'll be on the lookout for the rest!

Where's Lenny? by Ken Wilson-Max, published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Ages 2-5
Source: Library

Look for Lenny Has Lunch, Lenny in the Garden, and Lenny Goes to Nursery School too!

Picture Book Review - Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of sharing a presentation on diversity in kidlit with a class of Early Childhood Education students. It was a serious honor to be asked to present, and warmed my heart to see all these future educators so excited about children's lit with diverse characters. The problem, though, was in choosing what books to share with them -- so many great choices, so little space (and time).

So I enlisted Sprout to help me pick, asking him what books we've read that he really liked. And among those he described was today's feature, the absolutely amazing Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales. I wasn't surprised that he mentioned this one, since we've had it checked out more or less nonstop since it debuted last summer. But I was a bit shocked that I hadn't blogged about it yet. Seriously, I had to check through the archives just to be sure!

Lo and behold, this one slipped through the cracks for us, I guess. Time to right that imbalance pronto. Because, my friends, Niño is one fantastically fun read-aloud and it deserves as wide an audience as it can possibly get. I mean, I dare you to read this one aloud and not collapse in a fit of giggles, just due to the sound effects alone.

The story follows our hero, Niño, who we right away discover is a pretty formidable wrestler in the lucha libre style of wrestling. Don't worry if you're not familiar with the concept - Morales has a very nice author note at the end that will answer your kiddos' questions about this type of wrestling. Suffice to say that lucha libre is pretty over the top, and that's exactly what our hero loves about it. Niño fights against all matter of crazy opponents and defeats them all handily, with plenty of awesome comic-inspired "whunks" and "zzwaps". But in the final measure, there is one pair of foes not even a fearless undie-clad hero can defeat -- his baby sisters!

I asked Sprout what he likes best about this one and he said "everything". I tend to agree. From the fast pace, to the zany opponents, to the colorful backdrops and sprinkling of Spanish phrases throughout, Niño is a total winner. . . even if he can't hold out against two little charmers (but who ever could?).

Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales, published by Roaring Brook Press
Ages 4-6
Source: Library
Highly recommended

Baby Says by John Steptoe

It's pretty clear if you've read my blog for long that multicultural books are a passion of mine. I'm not alone in this, fortunately - there are tons of great resources out there for folks who are looking to add some diversity to their library list. A while back I wrote about "50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know", a list compiled by the incredible group at the CCBC of University of Wisconsin-Madison. We're trying to work through the list with Sprout, which has been a fun project thus far. Especially great is fact that we're discovering some older titles that we might never have run across in another way.

Our most recent choice is a nearly wordless selection from classic author/illustrator John Steptoe - Baby Says. We ran across this title at the library and I remembered it from the list, so of course it was coming home with us. Sprout is a little old for this title, but he enjoyed it anyway, mostly because we're at that stage where he loves reliving any experience connected to babyhood. ("Was I like that, too, Mama?")

The story here is very simple - a baby is trying everything to get his big brother's attention. He uses the usual tricks in a baby's arsenal, throwing toys and knocking over brother's block towers, and of course it works just as planned, because brother has to stop everything and pay attention to the little one. Sprout laughed over the baby's naughtiness, probably because he himself is an only child and hasn't ever had to put up with such foolishness (though he's feeling this a little closer to home, now that he's one of the older kids in his preschool class!).

All in all this is a perfect story for very young children, as a means of introducing narrative and anticipating what's going to happen next in the story. Even babies will be able to recognize the mischievous look in this little one's eyes, as he schemes over how to attract brother's gaze away from the building blocks that he's currently playing with. And slightly older kids will feel the brother's frustration, as he tries to keep the baby from disrupting his project. With a few phrases that repeat over and over, Steptoe's spare story would also be good for new readers, to help build confidence and fluency.

Naturally for us, the best feature is the fact that the character's ethnicity is completely incidental to the story. I'm always on the lookout for books like this, and it's especially nice to find one for the youngest set of readers. Unfortunately this is an older title and not readily available, but it's worth a look at the library or used bookstore, if you want to add this terrific selection to your collection.

Keep checking back as we read our way through the CCBC list - this is a great way to add diversity to your reading list!

Baby Says by John Steptoe, published by Lothrop, Lee and Shepard

Ages 0-3

Source: Library

Recommended

Check out our Pinterest board to see all the titles from the list we've read so far!

Phoebe and Digger by Tricia Springstubb

It's no secret that I have a vehicle-obsessed kiddo - if you've read this blog at all, you'll know already that Sprout is a hardcore fan of trains, trucks, cars, planes, boats, etc. etc. No trip to the library is complete without a stop by the "Things that Go" section, where we can generally find some favorites to check out yet again. And Sprout is absolutely nutty for books like the Richard Scarry Busytown titles, where vehicles veer toward the wild and crazy; just the sight of the pickle car is enough to send him into fits of laughter.

While it's pretty mainstream to find books about cars and such with male protagonists, though, it's somewhat harder to find books about girls who share this obsession. I think that would be a huge point of frustration from me, were I the parent of a daughter. After all, many of us work hard to override the all-too-prevalent messages connecting gender and playthings (ever strolled the aisles of Toys R Us and felt weighed down by the flood of pink and blue?). So when a book comes along that shakes up the mold, I think it's absolutely cause to celebrate.

Tricia Springstubb is just the author to create such a book, having already written some fantastic stories about strong girls (What Happened on Fox Street is one of our favorites!). And Phoebe and Digger, her newest picture book is a worthy addition to her body of work -- no surprise to me to find out that Springstubb is a former children's librarian, she knows what kids want, and need, to read. Plus this is a title that kids will be drawn to right off the bat, with its colorful, large format illustrations that balance realism and cartoonishness to the perfect degree. You can bet I'll be seeking out other examples of illustrator Jeff Newman's work after looking at this one!

With Phoebe, Springstubb gives us a girl who loves her digger fiercely and single-mindedly, much like Sprout loves his collection of engines. Phoebe got Digger under interesting circumstances: "(w)hen Mama got a new baby," we learn, "Phoebe got a new digger". Digger keeps Phoebe company while Mama deals with all the escapades of the baby, many of which Phoebe finds completely terrible. One day, Mama and the baby get on with their boring stuff at the park while Phoebe and Digger start getting some work done. But after an encounter with a "crybaby boy" (he's afraid of the worm Digger found) Phoebe runs into even more trouble, in the form of a bully who snatches Digger away. And Phoebe, who thought she could deal with absolutely everything on her own, suddenly discovers it's pretty great to have family on her side when she needs it (oh, and maybe the baby isn't so bad after all).

I love this title for its humor and its realistic depiction of the sibling struggle. It's pretty natural for a big sister to be a little nonplussed by a new baby, and I appreciate that Springstubb willingly tackles that emotion. And I also like that we have an honest look at how kids feel when a bully comes along - overwhelmed, dwarfed, frustrated and not always ready to ask for help (love that Mama jumps in just at the right moment). This is a terrific springboard to talking about lots of complex topics, feelings and reactions, as well as helping kids discuss what Phoebe could do next time the same kind of kid comes along.

Got a young truck fan at home? Check out this engaging story, because no matter if your kiddo is boy or girl, Phoebe will strike a chord with everyone!

Phoebe & Digger by Tricia Springstubb, published by Candlewick Press
Ages 4-8
Source: Library
Sample: "Both Phoebe and Digger loved the park. The park had trees and swings and a kindly man who sold frozen treats. But best of all, the park had. . . real dirt."
Recommended

Bonus: Phoebe & Digger Story Hour Kit from the author's website!

The Sunflower Sword by Mark Sperring {The Children's Bookshelf}

The other night, Sprout came home from preschool and over a plate of noodles and cheese, announced, "Ninja turtles have guns and they will shoot you dead."

Ohhh-kaaay.

It would appear we have entered that stage of the game, where what the oh-so-alluring older boy at preschool tells you absorbs into your consciousness fully. For the record, we aren't in favor of guns for our kiddo, play or otherwise. We're firm on that. And so this off-the-cuff ninja turtle comment elicited a response from Mama and Daddy, after a suitable period of non-commentary, where we talked with Sprout about guns and knives and how we don't feel that kind of play is appropriate, and why. It's not going to be the last conversation we have on the subject, and we aren't so naive as to think that he won't play guns and shooting and so forth. But we want to make our no-tolerance position clear from the beginning.

So it seemed fitting that a book we recently checked out move its way up to the top of the book stack. The Sunflower Sword by Mark Sperring is a wonderful book for many reasons: it's colorful, fun to read, and has some of Sprout's favorite things in it (knights! dragons! fire-breathing!). But what we like most is the narrative: a young boy wants to go fight dragons as he sees the grown-up knights do. He longs to swing his mighty blade and vanquish the dreaded beasts on his own.

Trouble is, Mom won't let him have a sword. Instead, she gives him -- a sunflower.

Well, what's a guy to do with that? Sure, it swishes through the air pretty fine, but fighting seems out of the question. Sighing, our little would-be knight makes his way up to Dragon Hill, making the best use he can out of his sunflower by sparring with imaginary dragons. But then, he runs into -- you guessed it -- a real dragon. Now how will a sunflower help our hero stand up to this fearsome beast?

Sperring's got an important message here, which wraps up with a satisfying conclusion. I appreciate that the conflict isn't resolved too easily - the knight doesn't warm to his mother's suggestion until he considers how it could best be used, and it works. That message, coupled with adorably snaggle-toothed dragons created by illustrator Miriam Latimer, brings the whole point home in a way that's subtle and yet powerful.

Whether you want to encourage nonviolent play or work on resolving conflicts creatively, The Sunflower Sword makes a great addition to bookshelves at home and in the classroom. [Sunflowers not included.]

The Sunflower Sword by Mark Sperring, published by Andersen Press
Ages 3-7
Source: Library
Sample: "Then he whooshed and swooshed it, just to see how well it whooshed and swooshed. / It whooshed and swooshed very well. 'But,' said the little knight, 'it won't be any good for fighting dragons.' 'No,' sighed his mother, 'I don't suppose it will, but keep it anyway.'"
Recommended

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This post is part of The Children’s Bookshelf, a weekly linky party with the goal of connecting parents with great books for their kids. Do you have a book review, literacy or book-related post that you think will be helpful for parents? If so, please add your link below.

NOTE: By linking up you are giving permission for any of the co-hosts to pin and/or feature a your photo on a future The Children’s Bookshelf post. Kindly link up to an individual post, not your blog’s homepage. The hosts reserve the right to delete any links to homepages, commercial links, repeat links or otherwise inappropriate links. Thank you for your understanding.

You can also follow The Children’s Bookshelf on Pinterest or visit TCB’s co-hosts: Sprout’s Bookshelf, What Do We Do All Day?, No Twiddle Twaddle, Smiling Like Sunshine, My Little Bookcase, The Picture Book Review, MemeTales and Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns. You can find more details here.

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A Wild Cowboy by Dana Kessimakis Smith {The Children's Bookshelf}

Yikes, life can get busy, can't it? With grad school, work, social commitments, swim lessons, family time and all the other stuff we try to squeeze in, it just feels sometimes like there's not enough week to go around. Lately it's our library trips that have suffered - we used to be diligent about going every week, but these days we're lucky if it's once a month. I still bring books home from work quite often, but even so we all miss this time. Lesson to me - we need to get better about prioritizing so that we can make it happen.

One of the reasons I miss library visits is the serendipity of pulling something off the shelf and finding a gem. Sure, you can scope out books online, do keyword searches and read blogs to find what's new and great. But those oldies, the ones that are no longer at the forefront of every reviewer's list? Those are the kinds of books I love to stumble across. And for those encounters, there's really no substitute for an in-person shelf browse.

Sprout found today's pick himself on one of our last library trips. What's interesting is that even though I'm familiar with the publisher and the illustrator, Laura Freeman, I'd never heard of this one: A Wild Cowboy by Dana Kessimakis Smith. And it couldn't have been a better choice on Sprout's part because he's right in the thick of an imaginative phase, where "I'm a dinosaur" and "I'm a fireman" are everyday occurrences for us. So this tale of a young boy casting himself in the role of a cowboy was spot on.

Our hero is off for a visit at Grandma's with his little brother. Pretty straightforward, right? No way, pardner! Because our narrator is a "real live buckaroo", and as he describes his day it's all about cowboy life. There's blazing a trail (walking to Grandma's), rounding up the herd (chasing Grandma's puppies around the yard), eatin' grub (popcorn and juice boxes). This is a real serious gig for our cowpoke, who takes his duties and his cowboy leisure time quite seriously.

Smith's use of wild west lingo paired with Freeman's winsome illustrations makes for a very sweet reading experience. Sprout loved pointing out the silliness, like when the cowboy rides on his mama's back, pretending she's his horse (Sprout thought that was hilarious). I loved that the family in question is multiracial -- as I've said many times, there's a real need for depictions of diverse families in everyday settings, and this title fills the bill nicely. Best of all, this is a title that little ones will clamor to hear, with its steady rhymes and comforting yet interesting pictures. And moms and dads will find it just as fun too. After all, who wouldn't want to go along on this trail ride?

We'll be on the lookout for Smith and Freeman's other title, A Brave Spaceboy, during our next library trip - which I think I'm going to make an appointment for, so we don't miss it!

A Wild Cowboy by Dana Kessimakis Smith, published by Jump at the Sun/Hyperion
Ages 2-5
Source: Library
Sample: "We set up camp, this cowboy's home / A fire flickers and pops / I find some grub, some cowboy food / I eat till the rumblin' stops"
Recommended

----------------------------------------

This post is part of The Children’s Bookshelf, a weekly linky party with the goal of connecting parents with great books for their kids. Do you have a book review, literacy or book-related post that you think will be helpful for parents? If so, please add your link below.

NOTE: By linking up you are giving permission for any of the co-hosts to pin and/or feature a your photo on a future The Children’s Bookshelf post. Kindly link up to an individual post, not your blog’s homepage. The hosts reserve the right to delete any links to homepages, commercial links, repeat links or otherwise inappropriate links. Thank you for your understanding.

You can also follow The Children’s Bookshelf on Pinterest or visit TCB’s co-hosts: Sprout’s Bookshelf, What Do We Do All Day?, No Twiddle Twaddle, Smiling Like Sunshine, My Little Bookcase, The Picture Book Review, MemeTales and Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns. You can find more details here.

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Poetry Review - A Stick is an Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer

It's nearly summer! By the calendar at least, if not fully by the weather forecast here in Northwest Washington. We've had a couple of warm days already, though. During one of them, Sprout and Daddy happened to be out at the park just at the perfect moment when they were testing the splash pad, and Sprout got to have an impromptu run-through-the-sprinklers moment. Other than that we haven't had the chance to do a lot of summery things yet, but we're definitely looking forward to them: more bike rides, popsicles, picking strawberries, playing in the wading pool, watching the fireworks. Blissful.

In keeping with the spirit of the season is Marilyn Singer's new book A Stick is an Excellent Thing: Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play. Singer's the author of a number of well-loved books for children, including I'm Your Bus, which Sprout loves for its transportation theme, and A Full Moon is Rising, last year's gorgeous book that takes a look at how different cultures incorporate the phases of the moon. What I loved about the latter title is that we can dip into it at any point, reading the page or pages that catch Sprout's fancy. And isn't that the best thing about poetry - the way each individual piece shines like its own unique gem?

In this latest title, Singer is celebrating life after the last day of school. And who wouldn't be anxious to hear that final bell ring, if they were enjoying all the wonderful fun that bursts forth from Singer's terrific poems? The poems vary in length and subject, everything from a boy who's playing catch with his dog, to a game of double dutch, to a romp through the backyard sprinkler ("Get wet! Jump out! / And always SHOUT!"). Each one perfectly encapsulates a summer experience that brings me back to those seemingly endless summer days, riding my bike with the neighbors or waiting and watching for the temperature to get warm enough to go swimming.

And the very best part of Stick, in our estimation, is that the book is entirely peopled with multicultural characters. There are kids here in every shade of skin tone and hair color, all frolicking together through Singer's delightful poems and enjoying the bounty of summer. LeUyen Pham did the illustrations here and as usual they are a true joy to look at. Not only does she capture the wicked fun these kids are having, she also evokes a retro vibe that will remind parents of their own summer days.

A Stick is an Excellent Thing is a winner for lots of reasons, and one that you'll love including as part of your summer reading routine. Oh, and for reluctant readers it's just the thing to keep those skills up over the break. Once they read one or two of these snappy pieces, they'll want to read the whole book (and so will you!).

A Stick is an Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer, published by Clarion Books
All Ages
Source: Library
Sample: "This bubble I'm blowing, / this bubble is growing -- / this bubble of ginormous size. / It's as big as a plate. / You can watch it inflate. / This bubble will win me a prize!"
Recommended

Bonus: take a peek inside the book at the Seven Impossible Things blog